Results 1 to 23 of 23

Thread: Pick-up advice please

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Maine / Maryland
    Posts
    69

    Default Pick-up advice please

    Greetings, friends. I am interested in seeing the community's thoughts about what internal pick-up might be best for my needs as I commence my search for the right one.

    It will be installed by an experienced professional luthier who is meticulous for detail.

    I'd like to purchase new from an independent music store in my hometown. My budget is less than $100. It's going in a very nice Oregon-made A-5 mandolin that's a keeper. I'll be plugging into an UltraSound amp.

    Dependability and design my paramount concerns. Wish to buy one that's made in US.

    I appreciate in advance the suggestions!

  2. #2
    Mandolin Botherer Shelagh Moore's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Leicestershire, UK
    Posts
    1,378

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    The ones I prefer to use these days and have had excellent experience with are K&K and PUTW (Pick Up The World). The latter definitely benefits from the use of a preamp however. I also have an instrument with an internally installed Shertler Dyn microphone which sounds excellent. I know some other players who also swear by Highlander and L R Baggs pickups although I have no experience of them myself.

  3. #3
    Registered User John Kelly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Ardnadam, Argyll, Scotland
    Posts
    2,280

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    Have a look at the JJB pickups too. I have installed three on various instruments and am very happy with the sound I get. Here is a link to the website. http://jjb-electronics.com/index.html. He uses the same components as some of the top Pickup makers and at a very good price. I stress NFI - just a satisfied customer.
    I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order. - Eric Morecambe

    http://www.youtube.com/user/TheOldBores

  4. The following members say thank you to John Kelly for this post:


  5. #4
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Maine / Maryland
    Posts
    69

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    thanks, John. The JJB stuff is affordable. Seems like a good company!

  6. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Va
    Posts
    2,573

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    I would recommend 3/4 ton long bed. My favorite is Dodge

  7. The following members say thank you to Mandoplumb for this post:


  8. #6
    Registered User Perry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Rockland Cty, NY
    Posts
    2,145

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    K&K and either 1) ToneBone Pre-Z or 2) Red Eye in that order. Done.

  9. #7
    I really look like that soliver's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Marietta, GA
    Posts
    1,745

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    Does a K&K Mandolin Twin external offer any benefit over the JJB Equivalent (at virtually 1/2 the price)? http://jjb-electronics.com/The_Marcato.html
    aka: Spencer
    Silverangel Econo A #429
    Soliver #001 & #002: A double stack of Pancakes.

    Soliver Hand Crafted Mandolins and Mandolin Armrests
    Armrests Here -- Mandolins Here

    "You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage
    to lose sight of the shore, ...and also a boat with no holes in it.” -anonymous

  10. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Columbus, GA
    Posts
    1,360

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    I have a Schertler in my Breedlove Quartz and K&K in my Breedlove Legacy. They're both great but I prefer the K&K, but barely. Eddie Blevins is building an octave mandolin for me and I specified K&K in that one.
    David Hopkins

    2001 Gibson F-5L mandolin
    Breedlove Legacy FF mandolin; Breedlove Quartz FF mandolin
    Gibson F-4 mandolin (1916); Blevins f-style Octave mandolin, 2018
    McCormick Oval Sound Hole "Reinhardt" Mandolin
    McCormick Solid Body F-Style Electric Mandolin; Slingerland Songster Guitar (c. 1939)

    The older I get, the less tolerant I am of political correctness, incompetence and stupidity.

  11. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    S.W. Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,507

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    The K&K is specifically built for mandolin with larger pickups, and thicker plates. They really do sound good, I have them on two mandolins and use a RedEye preamp.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  12. #10
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Columbus, GA
    Posts
    1,360

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    Quote Originally Posted by pops1 View Post
    .......and use a RedEye preamp.
    Me, too. Great combination. I have a K&K preamp but I like the RedEye better
    David Hopkins

    2001 Gibson F-5L mandolin
    Breedlove Legacy FF mandolin; Breedlove Quartz FF mandolin
    Gibson F-4 mandolin (1916); Blevins f-style Octave mandolin, 2018
    McCormick Oval Sound Hole "Reinhardt" Mandolin
    McCormick Solid Body F-Style Electric Mandolin; Slingerland Songster Guitar (c. 1939)

    The older I get, the less tolerant I am of political correctness, incompetence and stupidity.

  13. #11
    Fatally Flawed Bill Kammerzell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Annapolis, MD
    Posts
    1,663

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    Quote Originally Posted by DHopkins View Post
    I have a Schertler in my Breedlove Quartz and K&K in my Breedlove Legacy. They're both great but I prefer the K&K, but barely. Eddie Blevins is building an octave mandolin for me and I specified K&K in that one.
    I have a preference for the K&K also. Use a K&K pre-amp. Like the Taylor V-Cable also.
    Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
    Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
    Arches #9 A Style (2005)
    Bourgeois M5A (2022)
    Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)

    "Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"

  14. #12
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Boulder, CO & Chesterfield, MO
    Posts
    2,562

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    Quote Originally Posted by soliver View Post
    Does a K&K Mandolin Twin external offer any benefit over the JJB Equivalent (at virtually 1/2 the price)? http://jjb-electronics.com/The_Marcato.html
    I can't hear a difference between them. I've started using the JBB.
    This is the one I buy for $40, with endpin jack
    http://jjb-electronics.com/prestige-220.html
    Still recommend a good preamp/DI, as with the K&K

  15. #13
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Maine / Maryland
    Posts
    69

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    Any insight into a strongest pros & cons versus the JBB and using a microphone into the amp? I'm sure decent microphone runs at least $100, right?

    Thanks for the advice so far!

  16. #14
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Boulder, CO & Chesterfield, MO
    Posts
    2,562

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    Quote Originally Posted by jdmeyers77 View Post
    Any insight into a strongest pros & cons versus the JBB and using a microphone into the amp? I'm sure decent microphone runs at least $100, right?

    Thanks for the advice so far!
    Mic will give you a truer representation of the instrument's acoustic sound, but it is more prone to feedback and other ambient noise. A piezo pickup does not deliver as faithful a reproduction of the instruments unamplified sound, but is more resistant to feedback and is generally easier to use. A lot of pros use both.
    Here's a good mid level condenser mic that you might try
    https://smile.amazon.com/Audio-Techn.../dp/B000K67VG0

  17. #15
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Washington State
    Posts
    3,652

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    Quote Originally Posted by jdmeyers77 View Post
    Any insight into a strongest pros & cons versus the JBB and using a microphone into the amp? I'm sure decent microphone runs at least $100, right?

    Thanks for the advice so far!
    A decent soundboard pu like JJB or K&K will not effect your acoustic tone, so you can still use a mic if you want. Either of these pu's into an acoustic amp will sound pretty decent. If you're going to play through a PA you will likely need a DI or preamp, which will add some additional cost and complexity.

  18. #16
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Washington State
    Posts
    3,652

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    Quote Originally Posted by soliver View Post
    Does a K&K Mandolin Twin external offer any benefit over the JJB Equivalent (at virtually 1/2 the price)? http://jjb-electronics.com/The_Marcato.html
    I also have used JJB and K&K. I cannot detect any difference in quality or sound.

  19. #17
    Registered User almeriastrings's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Almeria, Spain
    Posts
    5,442
    Blog Entries
    3

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    This comes up so often.... but... if you are using a K&K/JJB Piezo and plunging into a SUITABLE ACOUSTIC AMPLIFIER there should be no reason at all that any other preamp is required. The Fishman Loudbox ranges, Fender Acoustasonic, Ultrasound acoustic amps etc, already have a very good piezo preamp built in. Adding another one will not help - in fact, it will degrade your results. It is unnecessary expense and adds distortion and noise.

    You will need a separate preamp if plugging into certain other systems. But, again, it depends. Going into an analog PA mixer, for example, but even here, there some exceptions (some of the A&H ZED's have a 10M piezo input and decent EQ).

    Into a typical, latest generation digital console, you won't need any 'up front' EQ adjustment. The desk will do it all, easily. Parametric notch filtering, custom curves, the lot. All you need there is a suitable Hi-z to Low-z DI box (minimum 1M input impedance is normally fine with mandolin and guitar, you might need more with string bass) that has really good headroom that can handle the large peak-to-peak voltage swings piezo discs can generate.
    Gibson F5 'Harvey' Fern, Gibson F5 'Derrington' Fern
    Distressed Silverangel F 'Esmerelda' aka 'Maxx'
    Northfield Big Mon #127
    Ellis F5 Special #288
    '39 & '45 D-18's, 1950 D-28.

  20. The following members say thank you to almeriastrings for this post:


  21. #18
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    I too have a Schertler, Installed and a Dyn M Portable.. It has a strong signal and can either go direct, 1/4" jack to a line or mic input

    Or via a XLR to 1/4" adapter/ matching transformer, for the dyn M , without a preamp...

    An amp from a piezo pickup making company will be ideal with a piezo pickup..

    The Roland AC-60 has an input switch on the instrument channel Magnetic / Piezo.




    ...
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  22. #19
    Registered User Cheryl Watson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    St. Augustine, Florida, USA
    Posts
    1,508

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    I have a K&K and a Red Eye Fire Eye preamp and my mandolin sounds fabulous plugged in!

  23. #20
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    S.W. Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,507

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    Quote Originally Posted by Cheryl Watson View Post
    I have a K&K and a Red Eye Fire Eye preamp and my mandolin sounds fabulous plugged in!
    I have the same thing and feel the same way.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  24. #21
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Boulder, CO & Chesterfield, MO
    Posts
    2,562

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    Quote Originally Posted by Cheryl Watson View Post
    I have a K&K and a Red Eye Fire Eye preamp and my mandolin sounds fabulous plugged in!
    If you don't need a boost switch (or already have a boost pedal), the Fire-Eye Dee-Eye is about $70 cheaper, same sound.
    I also really like the Radial StageBug SB-4. $80 and sounds great!

    Both require phantom power from the board
    Last edited by colorado_al; Sep-16-2017 at 8:13pm.

  25. #22
    not a donut Kevin Winn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    735

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    JJB and a Red Eye. Take some time to work with the EQ settings

  26. #23
    Mandolin Botherer Shelagh Moore's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Leicestershire, UK
    Posts
    1,378

    Default Re: Pick-up advice please

    With the K&Ks and Shertler Dyn I find they work well into my ZT Acoustic Lunchbox or Bose L1 Compact without the need for a preamp (as mentioned by almeriastrings above). Where I need a preamp (e.g. using the PUTW or with some other rigs) I use a Radial Tonebone.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •